The All-Pro receiver is converting most of his $7.875 million base salary for 2018 into a signing bonus, according to a source. His new salary will be around $915,000. Brown used Snapchat to post a snippet of agent Drew Rosenhaus explaining his reworked contract.

_________________"If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?" - Will Rogers

The All-Pro receiver is converting most of his $7.875 million base salary for 2018 into a signing bonus, according to a source. His new salary will be around $915,000. Brown used Snapchat to post a snippet of agent Drew Rosenhaus explaining his reworked contract.

Interesting. By my calculation, they already had the money to tag Bell. Could be freeing up money to go after some FA's, but now that extra cap carries over to the next year this just gives you flexibility.

Because my "pull Bell's tag" theory assumes you're able to spend the money on someone else, and to do that they might need the actual physical cap space firts.

Right. BUT that also includes Shazier, who is 100% likely to get an exemption.

However, since you don't know when you will actually receive the exemption, you need to create space to go after people. It no longer matters since the cap rolls over every year.

Kodiak, can you supply any example of why Shazier will get an exemption? I was hoping that would be the case, but from what I've mostly read, he will count his full $8.718 million against the cap this year - unless we extend him maybe? Thanks for the help.

Kodiak, can you supply any example of why Shazier will get an exemption? I was hoping that would be the case, but from what I've mostly read, he will count his full $8.718 million against the cap this year - unless we extend him maybe? Thanks for the help.

Hugely bad PR for PIT and the league if they don't. With no exemption, they would be forcing PIT to cut or reach an injury settlement.

And Colbert already said Shazier would be place on the exemption list.